{"id":1626,"date":"2026-02-11T21:15:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T04:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journeyswithjohn.com\/wordpress\/?p=1626"},"modified":"2026-02-11T21:15:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T04:15:42","slug":"top-sights-to-see-in-kings-canyon-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journeyswithjohn.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/02\/11\/top-sights-to-see-in-kings-canyon-national-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Kings Canyon National Park: Top sights to see on a short visit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you are making a trip to Kings Canyon National Park but do not have a lot of time to stay at the park, these are the sights I would recommend seeing. They highlight some of the amazing waterfalls and stunning scenery within the park. If you are able to stay in the park at Cedar Grove Lodge<\/a>, you can readily access each of these sites and maximize you time at Kings Canyon.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Grizzly Falls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On your way into Kings Canyon National Park, take some time to stop at Grizzly Falls. This 80-foot-tall waterfall is right off the road leading to Kings Canyon’s Cedar Grove Visitor’s Center. The falls are actually located within Sequoia National Forest and not inside Kings Canyon National Park, so you could still visit them without paying the entrance fee for the National Park. This will be a very quick stop unless you decide to stick around and have some lunch or a snack on the picnic tables available at the site. These falls are very impressive and definitely worth the stop before entering Kings Canyon National Park.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Grizzly Falls is a stunning 80-foot-tall waterfall just outside of the entrance to Kings Canyon National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Roaring River Falls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I recommend stopping at Roaring River Falls on your way to hike to Mist Falls. This is another relatively short hike that leads to another beautiful waterfall. Roaring River Falls are just over three miles from Cedar Grove Lodge and just under three miles to the Bubbs Creek and Rae Lakes Loop Trailhead. You could stop here either before your hike to Mist Falls or after, but the lighting for photographs will probably be better early in the day. The walk from the parking lot to the falls is quite short, making this an accessible site for most people. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Roaring River Falls are definitely worth the short walk from the parking area. They are probably absolutely amazing during peak runoff in the spring as well.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Mist Falls via Bubbs Creek and Rae Lakes Loop Trailhead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are just in Kings Canyon for a day or two, I recommend adding Mist Falls to your list of places to visit. These falls are stunning and well worth the hike to reach them. Do note that this is an eight-mile roundtrip hike with almost 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Although this is an amazingly beautiful hike, it is not recommended for inexperienced hikers due to the length of the trail. If the thought of an eight-mile hike does not make you balk, this hike is worth undertaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When my dad and I hiked this trail, we saw three bears on the trail in front of us. Fortunately, we had enough room to back up and give them space until they moved away from the trail and into the woods. Keep your eyes open for wildlife and be aware that bears are commonly spotted in Kings Canyon and on this trail. We were also told that there was a rattlesnake near the trail at one point, but we never ended up seeing it. This was another reminder that National Parks are still quite wild, and animal encounters are commonplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you make this hike, the Bailey Bridge\/Bubbs Creek Bridge is also worth checking out. You can find this bridge just slightly past where you turn off for Mist Falls from Bubbs Creek Trail. I would suggest going to take a look at the bridge and then turning around to hop on the Sierra High Route that leads to Mist Falls. You can find trail conditions and download the GPS routes for this trail on Alltrails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n